Gambling behavior among Macau college and university students

Abstract

This survey investigated gambling behavior among Chinese students studying in Macau colleges and universities. It also aimed to examine the relationship between problem gambling, affect states and sensation seeking propensity. A convenience sample of 999 students (370 men, 629 women) filled a self-administered questionnaire consisted of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (Ferris and Wynne in The Canadian problem gambling index: User manual. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Toronto 2001a), the 8-item Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) (Hoyle et al. Pers Individ Diff 32(3): 401–414, 2002), Bradburn’s Affect Balance Scale (BABS) (Bradburn in The structure of psychological well-being. Aldine, Chicago 1969) and questions on gambling activities. The response rate is 65%. Results indicate 32.3% (n = 323) of the survey participants wagered on mahjong (61.8%), soccer matches (40.2%), Mark Six lottery (37.2%), card games (28.1%), land-based casino gambling (13.1%), slot machines (7.5%) and online casino games (2.0%). The average monthly stake was MOP $411. Seeking entertainment (18.7%), killing time (12.5%) and peer influence (11.1%) were the three main reasons for gambling. Using the PGSI, 3.6 and 5.3% of the students could be identified as moderate-risk and problem gamblers respectively. Men were significantly more vulnerable to gambling problems (X2(1) = 35.00, p < 0.01) than women. Most of the problematic gamblers (76%) made their first bet before 14 years. The PGSI scores are significantly correlated with the BSSS-8 scores (r = 0.23, p < 0.01) but not with the overall ABS scores (r = −0.06, p > 0.05). The study findings inform campus prevention programs and future research.

Attitudes, Risk Factors, and Behaviours of Gambling among Adolescents and Young People: A Literature Review and Gap Analysis

“…There was consensus among the literature that sensation or excitement seeking was a strong predictor of problem gambling among adolescents and young people [24,36,40,43,[64][65][66][67]. Problem gamblers were reported to be more likely to focus on immediate outcomes than non-problem gamblers [40], and male problem gamblers compared to non-problem gamblers were found to be more focused on the present than on past or future events [68].…”

The relationship of gambling with sensation‐seeking behavior and psychological resilience in university students

“…In other studies conducted in Turkey, 1.2% of university students had the problem of pathological gambling (Köksoy Vayısoğlu et al, 2019). In China, 5.3% of university students had problem gambling (Kam et al, 2017), and 14.7% of the students had pathological gambling behaviors in Hong Kong (Wong et al, 2021). According to the results of the aforementioned studies, the rate of the problem of pathological gambling identified among university students in Turkey was smaller than the ones observed in other countries.…”

“…Köksoy Vayısoğlu et al (2019) also found a statistically significant relationship between pathological gambling and sensation‐seeking behavior. Likewise, in the study that Kam et al (2017) performed with 999 university students by using the Problem Gambling Severity Index that is based on the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, it was stated that students with problem gambling were more addicted to seeking sensation. In this study, upon the review of the relationship of the SOGS scores of the participants with their ZSSS subscale scores, it was discerned that gambling behaviors had relationships with disinhibition, as well as seeking thrill and adventure.…”

Health Inequities Among East and South Asian Gamblers During COVID-19: Key Risk Factors and Comorbidities

“…Research on East Asian gamblers has featured considerable attention on Chinese players in particular. In this context, gambling is perceived generally as a recreational and social activity, which may be introduced at a young age (i.e., under the age of 16) and is also common during holidays and family gatherings (Kam et al, 2017 ; Keovisai & Kim, 2019 ; Kim, 2012 ; Yu & Ma, 2019 ; Zheng et al, 2011 ). Limited evidence has also established an association between gambling problems and mental health concerns and substance overuse, which is to date better represented in general population studies (Cheung, 2014 ; El-Guebaly et al, 2006 ; Kong et al, 2011 ).…”